If Only For A Day
by raidersrule456
Summary: Angel gets the opportunity to return to Earth and visit friends and family for twentyfour hours. Reviews please! Tell me what you think!
1. Chapter 1

AN: In this story, Angel gets the chance to come back to Earth for one day. What will happen? Review!

**DISCLAIMER: Some of the these characters are mine, but the main ones are Jonathan Larson's.**

"Angel. _Angel. _Angel, open your eyes."

Angel sat up and looked directly into the eyes of her guardian. "Hi, Jonathan. What's up?" She was sitting in her New York apartment. Of course, she wasn't in New York. She hadn't been in New York for over a year. This was her favorite place on Earth, and it had been recreated for her use in the afterlife.

"Today's the day," said Jonathan, grinning.

Angel's eyes went wide. "You mean…"

"That's right. Get dressed and meet me in the commons in five."

"You got it." He disappeared in a flash, and Angel snapped her fingers and was quickly dressed. She was wearing her best. Black top, black skirt, white polyester tights and high heels. And of course, her black wig.

She checked herself in the mirror. It was perfect. Today was going to be a great day. She would be seeing her old friends for the first time in a year. She could picture the look on Collins' face when he saw her. She absolutely could not wait.

Once at the general commons area, the place where everyone spends their time when not in meditation, she began looking for Jonathan. "Hi, Gordon." She waved to the small man, and he waved back and smiled.

Jonathan approached. "Angel, are you ready?" He held his beloved pencil and clipboard with all the souls he was responsible for.

Angel nodded. "So ready. This is gonna be great!"

He put his arm around her and walked with her to the giant silver gate. "Once I open this gate, you and the rest of the visiting souls will be free to go wherever you please. All you have to do is close your eyes, picture the place you want to go, and you'll be there."

"Sounds easy enough," she said.

"Right. Now head over there with the others," he said, pointing to where hundreds of people were gathered near the gate. "There are some things that have to be covered before we set you free."

She nodded and walked over to the enormous crowd. People were whispering excitedly with those around them about who they were going to visit and what they were going to talk about and how they couldn't wait to see so-and-so.

Jonathan walked up to a podium and everyone got quiet. There was no need for a microphone, of course. "Now, as you all know, today is the day you will be permitted to leave the gates of heaven and roam the Earth. I'm sure you are all very excited," he paused and smiled, "but there are a few ground rules that should be addressed." He pulled a white piece of paper from his robe and began to read.

"There are three conditions which must be followed by all souls who intend to visit Earth. First, do not attempt to alert any mortals, except the ones you know of course, that you have returned from the grave. You will be invisible to anyone who did not personally know you while you were alive, but you are responsible for making sure those you communicate with do not tell anyone of your return. This especially includes media. Any unauthorized people you meet with will have their memories erased promptly.

"Second, do not commit any immoral acts while on Earth. Remember, you are pure beings now. Any behavior on Earth will go on your Record, and serious acts of evil can get you condemned. This means no murder, drugs, rape, drunkenness, assault, trespassing, robbery, or gambling. If you commit any of these, it will be taken to the Council and it will be determined whether or not you will be allowed to enter Heaven again."

At this point, someone in the back raised their hand. Jonathan nodded, and a man's voice shouted, "Are we allowed to have sex?"

Everyone's eyes were now on Jonathan. This was obviously an important issue. He smiled and said, "Of course. Sex is a natural part of being on Earth. As long as it is consensual and with someone over the age of 17, you may have sex."

He resumed his recitation of rules. "Lastly, it is imperative that you do not visit the site of your burial. This is because when a soul gets too near to its body, the body absorbs the essence of the soul. This will mean you are back in your body, and for those of you buried in ground, you will be trapped in your coffin. You will have to be excavated and we'll have to go in and erase memories and do things we don't want to do. So, don't go near your graves."

Everyone nodded. Jonathan looked around. "Any questions?" None. He smiled and turned to his left, to the enormous 50-foot high gate. He raised both his hands into the air, and slowly the gate began to swing open. Once it was open, he turned back to the crowd and smiled. "You have twenty-four hours. Go."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ta-da! First chapter's short, I know. Next one will be longer. Tell me what you think! Review!!!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Update here. Angel begins visting her family. Enjoy! Review!!!

Angel opened her light brown eyes and found herself in a field of green. She smiled when she realized she was back on Earth. Her favorite planet.

She was standing in her brother-in-law's cannabis field in Puerto Rico. She had decided it would be appropriate to visit family before friends. Besides, she wanted Collins to be the last thing she saw before she had to go.

Making her way through the potent marijuana field she hadn't seen in years, she spotted the ranch house up a small slope. She emerged from the leafiness and headed in the direction of her sister's home.

As she approached the front door, Angel thought about what she would say to the sister she hadn't seen in forever. And more importantly, what would her sister say when her brother, whom she knew to be dead, walked right in her living room? Her sister had come to the funeral, but Angel hadn't spoken to her since her wedding five years earlier.

She walked up to the door and knocked. An angry-looking Hispanic man appeared, her sister's husband. It did not surprise Angel when the man, Raul, did not recognize her. He had never seen her in drag, and that's what she was in.

_"Que?"_ he said, crossing his arms. He spoke no English, so Angel recalled her tongue from a past life.

"_Busco a mi hermana _(I am looking for my sister)," said Angel.

"_Quienes son tu _(who are you)?" he said, looking her up and down quizzically.

Angel, slightly pissed that he had used the familiar _tu_ instead of _usted,_ replied, "_Su hermano _(her brother)."

He nodded slowly, obviously confused because he thought the person in front of him was a woman. Nevertheless, he stepped aside for her to enter. The interior of the house was beautiful, fine Spanish furniture and art. It was quite a large house. And Angel knew every penny of it was paid off with the money earned from that field out back and other illegal services.

Angel walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch, but not for long. Raul shouted, "_Tu hermano esta aqui _(your brother is here)!"

Angel's sister, Nadia, came in saying, "_Que—Angel!!!" _Angel stood as Nadia's gorgeous brown eyes went wide. Her breath got short. "I—I—" She began to faint, and Angel ran to catch her.

"It's okay," whispered Angel as she held her. "It's me."

Nadia's mouth dropped. "Come with me." She led Angel downstairs to a bedroom. As soon as the door was closed she turned and looked at her. "You're alive!" she screamed. "This is crazy! Am I dreaming?"

"Nadia, sit down," said Angel. They both took a seat on the bed, and Angel explained everything, about how she was not really alive, only visiting. She said she had spent the last year in heaven and was having the time of her life, and today was the one day she was permitted to return to Earth for twenty-four hours.

Nadia's eyes filled with tears and she pulled Angel into a hug. "Angel—oh my God, I am so glad this is happening. You see, I never got a chance to apologize for what happened at the wedding." Angel nodded along, remembering the incident. "I was so horrified when you died because of it all. And now I get the chance to…" she trailed off.

Angel smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine, _querida_. Think nothing of it. Let's talk about you."

Nadia continued as if she hadn't heard this. "I apologized to your, ah, lover, a tall black man. He said you had never really talked about me much, and said he was sure you were over it. But Angel, I was so out of line. You confided in me." She blew her nose on a handkerchief from her pocket.

Angel recalled the episode from five years earlier. The night before her sister's wedding Angel had taken Nadia aside and sadly told her he was gay. It was not easy, but Angel had decided her sister should be the first to know.

She did not take it well. She screamed. Her screaming was heard in the next room, and both Angel and Nadia came running out in tears. In a rage, Nadia announced to the entire family what Angel had told her.

It was not an accepted matter in Angel's hardcore Catholic family. Angel was thrown out of her own home by her own relatives. He did not see them ever again, except for her grandmother, whom she spoke with over the phone sometimes.

"Nadia," said Angel, "don't worry about it. You're one-hundred-and-ten percent forgiven. Now could we talk about you, _por favor?_"

Nadia smiled. "Angel, you haven't changed a bit. I love you." They hugged again, and she finally began to open up about what she's been up to for the last five years. She had quit her job a few months after the wedding and retired to be a housewife to Raul. It was nice, but she admitted she was feeling unfulfilled. Angel managed to get around to the touchy subject of her marriage. When she asked about Raul, Nadia replied, "He treats me bad sometimes."

"_Chiquita," _said Angel, "it sounds like you don't even love him."

"Of course I love him," she defended. "He's my husband."

"Sometimes, just because you're married to someone, it doesn't mean you love them," Angel said with a knowing smile.

Nadia sighed. "Well what can I do?"

"Leave him," Angel said emphatically.

Nadia's eyes went wide and she got uncomfortable. "Chica, I can't do that. That's crazy. Totally crazy."

Angel took both her hands. "Listen Nadia. I want to see you happy. I don't want to go back up there knowing that you are trapped in a loveless marriage. Let's face it, hon. You never loved that man. You married for money. Most of which is earned through leg-breaking, stolen goods, and that field behind this house. Nadia, if you value anything I say, you'll pack you're things tonight and leave." She looked at her and waited for a response.

She laughed nervously. "Angel – no. I couldn't do that. Where would I go? I have no one to stay with."

Angel thought a moment. "I've got it. You can stay with Grandmother. I'm going to visit her next, I'll tell her you're coming.

Nadia put her head in her hands. "I don't know. It does sound appealing. I could stay there until I could afford a ticket to America."

"Exactly. Look, when I get there, I'll tell her to send someone to come pick you up tonight at midnight, after Raul is asleep. Just make sure you have your bags ready. How does that sound?"

Nadia covered her mouth with her hand. "Angel… would you really do that for me?" She had begun to cry again.

Angel nodded and smiled. "What are siblings for?"

They continued to talk for over an hour about various things, until Angel sadly announced she had better get going. She gave Nadia one last hug and reminded her to have her bags ready at midnight.

"Angel… are you sure you have to go?" Nadia asked after they hugged.

Angel nodded sadly. "I'm really sorry, baby." Both were crying. "Just… just remember that I'm always listening to your prayers."

She nodded through her tears. "Angel, I love you so much. Don't forget about me."

"I'll never forget, _mi hermana_. Not ever." She took a few steps back and whispered, "Goodbye." Nadia whispered it back.

Angel, standing in her sister's downstairs bedroom, closed her eyes and visualized her grandmother's home. It wasn't long before she heard a rushing noise and felt herself flying through blackness….

REVIEWS PLEASE!!!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Brand new chappy. Angel is still visiting family. REVIEW!!!!!

Angel's high heels landed with a _thud_ on hard concrete. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was standing in bright daylight, on the uneven sidewalk of a Puerto Rican ghetto.

She did not stand there long. She was fancily dressed and knew it wasn't safe. She walked straight up to the door of the small home in front of her and pressed the doorbell. It was broken. She knocked loudly and waited.

An ancient Hispanic woman came to answer the door. She had short, curly gray hair and she was small and portly. She looked at Angel quizzically, as though she knew her from somewhere but not quite sure where. Her grandmother, Teresa, had not seen her in drag, either. _"Si?" _she said.

Thankfully, her grandmother did speak English. "Grandmother," said Angel, "it's me." She removed her wig, revealing her male haircut.

Teresa gasped. "Angel?!?! No, no, no…." she took a step back and began to get dizzy.

Angel ran forward and held her up. "Easy..." She still looked frightened. "It's me," said Angel, smiling.

Angel released her and she walked into her home, beckoning Angel to follow. Teresa took a seat in the kitchen and Angel sat down next to her. "But… I don't understand. They called and said you were dead."

Angel put her arm around her grandmother. "I am dead. But they're letting me return for today. Just today."

Teresa nodded slowly. Finally, it seemed to hit her that her grandson was back. She grinned widely and wrapped Angel in a hug. "Oh, _chiquita, _I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, _abuela._"

They chatted up a storm. They reminisced, talked about the fun times they had when Angel was young. They recalled the day when Angel's grandfather had taken both of them to the beach, and how they enjoyed building sandcastles and watching cargo ships come into the harbor.

They caught up on everything they had been up to since they last spoke, which was a phone call about a week before Angel died. Nothing much had changed around here, Teresa said. However, Angel noticed she had finally purchased a television, a rarity in this part of the country.

After nearly two hours of long conversation, Angel got around to her visit with Nadia. "Grandmother, Nadia is unhappy."

Teresa nodded slowly. "I have noticed. That man of hers is an _imbecil._"

"Which is why I agreed to help her. I need you to give her a place to stay for awhile before she can leave the country."

Teresa thought a moment. "I would be happy to."

Angel smiled. "She'll have her bags ready at midnight, tonight. Send someone to pick her up then."

"No problem."

Angel smiled even wider. _"Gracias, abuela."_

They hugged. "Anything for you, _querida._"

After this, Angel looked at the clock on her grandmother's wall. She sighed. "I have to go, dear."

Teresa nodded. "I understand. You should be with your love."

They stood and hugged for a full minute, both of them crying. "I love you so much, Angel," said her grandmother.

"I love you, too." Angel stepped back. "Goodbye," she said with a little wave.

"Goodbye," Teresa repeated.

With a rushing sound, Angel left her grandmother's living room on an express trip to New York City.

You like? Next chapter, Angel will be seeing her friends. REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: This chapter is short, but I wanted it that way. Please review!!!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Rent. I don't even own the computer I'm typing this on. **

This was it. The moment Angel had been thinking about for a year. She was going to see her friends again! And Collins… what would Collins think? What would he say?

Angel appeared in the lobby of Mark and Roger's run-down apartment building. She entered the stairwell and took the stairs two at a time, not wanting to miss a second of her time. When she reached the fifth floor, she walked down the hall and stopped at the door to the loft. She raised her fist, took a deep breath, and knocked twice.

The look on Roger's face was priceless. He opened the door with a bored expression and was about to say, "What?" when his eyes fell on the person in front of him. His jaw dropped slowly, and his eyes grew wide, his nostrils flared. He struggled to breathe, but was already choking on the air in his mouth. Just before he yelled, Angel put a hand over his mouth and said, "Shut up, Rog."

She pushed him into the apartment (since his legs were incapable of working) and sat him down in a chair in the empty living room. "Anyone else here?" she asked.

He tilted his head up and down in a nod. "Mm…Mar… MARK!!!"

Mark Cohen came running out of his bedroom and stopped. His look was similar to Roger's, but the size of his eyes was magnified by his enormous glasses. He covered a hand with his mouth and whispered, "Angel…."

Angel grinned. "I'm back for a day!"

Roger looked ready to pass out. "What?" he said.

"They're letting me come back for a day!" She took a seat on the couch and relaxed.

"Who is?" said Mark, also in shock.

"My handlers," Angel said matter-of-factly.

Mark sank into a chair and continued to stair at Angel. "This is unbelievable! This is fantastic!"

Roger picked up the phone and proceeded to dial. "I'm calling everyone," he said.

"Wait," said Angel. He stopped. "Not Collins. Not yet. Just the girls, for now."

Roger nodded and smiled, then began dialing.

Ten minutes later, they arrived. Maureen and Joanne entered, saw Angel, and screamed in delight for a good ten seconds. Mimi began to faint, but Roger caught her and helped her to the couch. After Angel explained everything to them, she nodded to Roger, who picked up the phone and dialed Collins' number.

No one was more excited than Mimi. She sat right next to Angel with her arms around him and they went on and on about this and that. Two friends reunited for a day. It was simply wonderful.

When there came a knock on the door, Angel smiled and said, "Showtime!" She hurried back into Roger's bedroom and waited, ready to hop out at the right moment.

Mark answered the door and Collins greeted him. "What's up, man? Roger sounded pretty crazy on the phone."

Everyone stood and looked at the bedroom door. It opened slowly, cautiously with a gentle creak. Two feet in black high heels stepped out. Zebra tights, black leather dress, and black/white spotted blouse. A stunning Hispanic figure in drag stood in the living room, smiling at Collins.

His reaction was much different from everyone else's. There were no wide eyes, no dropped jaw. No squeal of joy, no swooning. Instead a small smile crept across his face, and he began to walk over to his lover. When he stood in front of her, he put his arms around her and whispered the words:

"My Angel."

Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

I'm really sad because the Bears just lost the Super Bowl. Some good reviews would REALLY cheer me up!!!

**DISCLAIMER: I love Rent, but sadly, do not own it or any of its characters.**

Angel and Collins left shortly afterwards. No one complained because they understood they wanted to be alone for awhile. They agreed to meet up later tonight.

Instead of going back to Collins' place, they decided to take a walk. They walked arm in arm and talked all afternoon. They caught up on what Collins had been doing for the past year. Angel told Collins what heaven was like, who was there, what she did for fun, etc. It was fantastic to finally be able to talk to each other again.

As they walked, they noticed that whenever they passed someone, the person gave Collins a funny look like he was crazy or something. One woman even moved to the other side of the sidewalk to avoid him. Collins looked at Angel. "What was that for?"

Angel giggled. "Only people who knew me when I was alive can see me. So to her, you were talking to nothing."

Collins laughed. He leaned in to kiss her, not caring how crazy he must look to passersby.

Angel kissed him, but as she did she felt a strange sensation. A pulling sensation in her legs. She felt like she was being pulled back to whatever was behind her. She broke from Collins and looked at him. "Where are we?"

Collins looked up and saw that they were right next to a cemetery. In fact, it was the same cemetery where Angel had been laid to rest. "Baby, this is where your grave is."

Angel whipped around in shock and immediately found the small headstone that read:

**Angel Dumott Schaunard**

**Born June 10th 1968**

**Died October 29th 1990**

Angel felt herself getting closer and closer to the grave, and felt Collins slipping away. "Collins, we have to go!"

He tried to grab onto her but she was already out of reach. Suddenly, she was clinging to the headstone and fighting the force that was apparently trying to suck her into her own grave. "Angel, no!" shouted Collins.

Just as her hands began to slip from the marble, a figure appeared beside her and lifted her off the ground. The pulling stopped, and she found she was able to stand. She looked up and saw Jonathan standing there, smiling.

"Oh, Jonathan, thank you so much!"

He smiled and hugged her. "No problem, sweetheart. Now go be with your love."

Angel ran to Collins, and put her arms around him. "Baby, I was so scared," he said.

"I know. It's a good thing Jonathan was there."

He looked at her quizzically. "Who?"

Angel looked back to the cemetery, but Jonathan had vanished. She turned to Collins and smiled. "Nobody."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Angel and Collins returned to the Loft that evening they were met with a loud cheer of, "Surprise!" when they entered. There were streamers all around, music playing, and food and drinks everywhere. On a huge banner in a living room were the words, "Welcome Back Angel!"

Angel saw this and almost burst into tears. Her friends were throwing her a homecoming party. She was the luckiest girl in the world.

Many others were there, not just the four friends. Benny was there, minus Allison who had refused to go. Several friends from the Life Café, and Mimi had invited some Catscratch pals who had known Angel.

They spent over an hour laughing and mingling. Everyone was having a great time talking to Angel again. She had left a very big hole in everyone's hearts, and for tonight, that hole was filled.

At one point, Roger brought out a six-pack and set it before Angel. "Drink up, little lady."

She laughed. "Thanks Roger, but I can't drink."

"What?" asked Collins, whose arm was around her. "Why not?"

"Because I'm a pure being," she said, lifting her chin up proudly.

Maureen laughed. "Well, I'm not," she said, grabbing a beer, cracking it open, and guzzling it like a trucker.

Mimi and Angel conversed vigorously in Spanish for a long time, talking about this and that. Angel looked over to her left and saw Benny, standing in the corner drinking a beer, by himself. He watched from afar as many of his former friends chatted. Angel turned back to Mimi. _"Uno momento, chiqiuta." _Mimi nodded, and Angel stood and walked over to Benny.

"Hey there," she said, taking a seat next to him.

Benny nodded and smiled. "It's really good to see you again."

Angel smiled and hugged him. "I have to confess something."

Benny chuckled. "Okay. Shoot."

"I'm the one who killed Evita."

Benny looked at her for a moment, then said, "I know. I saw you and my neighbor celebrating when I came home, and then I saw my dead dog, and I put two and two together."

Angel couldn't help but laugh. "Wow. I'm really sorry, Benny. I was desperate for cash though, and I had no idea it was your dog."

Benny put his arm around her. "Don't worry about it baby, you did me a favor. That was the most annoying dog on the planet." Angel and Benny burst out laughing, and the rest of the friends looked over at them.

Collins smiled and looked at his watch. "Holy shit, it's past one o'clock. We gotta get you home, Angel girl."

Angel nodded sadly. "You're right. It's time." She hugged each and every one of the guests. There were many tears all around. After the general goodbyes, Angel pulled the five friends aside and said, "Come by tomorrow around 7:30. I want to see you again before I have to go."

They all nodded, and after another round of hugs and tears, Angel and Collins finally made it out the door and headed home.

When they got there, they realized it was the first time they had been alone in private for a _long _time. They cuddled on the couch for awhile, and then Collins asked, "Hey baby, can you, um… you know--"

"Have sex?" she asked. He nodded and she grinned. "I sure can."

With that, they leapt off the couch and into the bedroom in almost a single bound.

After the fun was over, Angel and Collins lied awake and talked for over an hour. Finally, Angel felt herself drifting off. Just before she was out cold, Collins leaned in and kissed her on the forehead and said, "See you in the morning, Angel baby."

Sadly, the next chapter will be the last. I hope you're liking it. Remember to review!!!


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Last chapter here... thank you so much for taking time to read this. I really had fun writing it, and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. Thanks for all the reviews, as well.

**DISCLAIMER: Me not own Rent so much. **

Angel opened her eyes and looked at the digital clock on the nightstand. She had just one half hour left on Earth. She shook Collins awake. "Baby, get up. It's almost time."

They threw some clothes on and walked out into the living room where the five bohemians sat, drinking coffee. All of them smiled at Angel. She had no makeup on, no fancy dress, yet her personality shown through and made her beautiful.

Somehow, the five friends formed an informal line, and Angel walked up to each of them to whisper a goodbye. She hugged each of them for over a minute, and soon everyone was sobbing. No one wanted her to go. But she had to.

When Angel approached Mimi, she could barely control herself. She threw herself on Angel and whispered something in Spanish. Angel pulled back and smiled and said, "Always."

Everyone looked at each other quizzically, but no one could be sure what Mimi had asked. No matter. It was their moment.

Angel stepped away and turned to Collins. They embraced each other and showed no signs of letting go. "Oh, God…" Collins whispered, realizing he was losing her all over again.

"No, baby," said Angel, sensing the pain he was in. "I'm never gone. I'm right above your head if you need me."

Collins grinned and chuckled. "I love you."

"And I love you."

They broke apart, and returned to their friends. Collins looked at the clock. "Baby we've still got… fifteen minutes left."

She nodded slowly. "You know… that might just be enough time for… a pillow fight!"

They all laughed and nodded. They missed their pillow fights. When Angel was still alive, they used to all get together on Sunday nights and have a huge, free-for-all rumble with feathers everywhere. Since then, however, they had not had a single one. It had always been Angel's thing.

"It's never too late, you know," said Mimi, putting her arm around Roger.

Maureen ran into the bedroom and started throwing pillows at her friends. Soon, everyone was armed and ready. "GO!" shouted Maureen.

It was just like old times. Everyone running, laughing, and screaming just before they got whacked over the head. Soon, they broke into teams: girls vs. guys. They tackled each other and rolled around on the floor. Feathers flew, but no one cared. They tickled each other, and Roger blasted music from the stereo and they danced around crazily. Finally, when they were all worn out, they collapsed on the floor, breathless with laughter.

Angel stood slowly. Suddenly, Jonathan was in the room. "Time to go, darling."

She nodded. "Guys, it's time."

They stood and gathered in around Angel. Another quick round of hugs and goodbyes. Angel kissed Collins on the lips. "See you soon, love."

She backed away from the friends and held her arms out. "I love you all so much."

They waved to her. "Goodbye, Angel."

Angel caught one last look at her friends, closed her eyes, and with a whooshing sound, disappeared from the apartment and landed in front of the gates of heaven.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Angel walked with Jonathan on the sunny pathway outside her heavenly home. "Did you have a good time?" he asked.

Angel smiled and remembered her time on Earth. "I sure did."

"You're friends seem really… fun."

She laughed. "You have no idea."

They stopped and sat on the bench by the grassy hills where souls laughed and played. "What you did for Nadia was really touching."

"Thank you. She's gonna be fine, such a strong girl."

Jonathan nodded, and for the first time noticed that Angel was only wearing one of her sparkling earrings. "What happened to the other one?" he asked, pointing at her ear.

She felt her earlobe and smiled to herself. "Must've gotten lost."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Collins walked in the front door of his apartment, hung up his coat, sat down on the couch, and sighed. Angel wasn't here. He had cherished the time he spent with her, but couldn't help but wish she could have stayed longer.

He reached for the remote control, but noticed something on the coffee table first. It was a shining earring, sitting on a small piece of paper.

He recognized the jewelry as something he had bought for Angel on their first date, to repay her for the coat she bought him. She had worn those earrings everywhere she went. They were her absolute favorite. He picked up the piece of paper. It read:

_I have the other one. Hold on to this, and we'll never be apart again._

_Love, Angel._

Collins smiled. Later, he put the earring in a small box wrapped in tissue paper, and put the box on his bedroom mantel. He undressed, crawled into bed, and was about to turn out the light when he saw the framed picture of Angel on his nightstand. She was sitting on a park bench, smiling at the camera with her beautiful teeth shining. He ran his hand across the flat glass of the frame, and smiled to himself. "Goodnight, my Angel baby."

He switched off the light, threw the covers over himself, and drifted off to sleep.

That's all, folks. Please review!!! Tell me what you thought!!!


End file.
